Health Tracking Apps: Not Yet Ready to Make a Big Impact

Almost no one really uses smartphone apps to track their health. That’s my takeaway from the latest Pew Research report. Although the report says close to 70% of adults are tracking some health statistics such as weight, diet or medical symptoms most of them do so either in their head (49%) or on paper (34%). The 21% who report using some kind of technology are split among a medical device (e.g., glucometer), app, spreadsheet, or website. Some people use technology and paper or keep info in their heads. Not surprisingly it’s people with chronic illnesses who are more likely to track information.

I don’t think the current generation of health apps is going to take us very far. It’s tedious to enter data and many people would rather just forget about their illness then spend a lot of time gathering, entering and analyzing it. And even if the information is tracked it doesn’t mean it will be used.

I have had to maintain a medical journal, but I use a simple spreadsheet that I can print and email to the doctor. That’s despite the fact that there are some cute apps available that supposedly make things simpler. I’m definitely the exception in that I’m willing to track details accurately over a long period of time and use them in appointments and phone calls with physicians. And let’s face it, a high proportion of the 49% of people who say they track things in their head are deluding themselves about the quality of their data.

The key to health tracking will be passive data collection. Once the smartphone can keep an eye on its owner’s activities, symptoms and vital signs we’ll be in a whole different place. There will still be the need to sift through the massive amount of data generated to summarize it and glean the useful tidbits, but that’s actually an easier problem to solve than the passive sensor challenge.

Until we get to really smart, passive devices, which will take a decade or more, you should expect to see successive editions of the Pew report saying more or less what this one says.

Thank you David! "Passive data collection" is the big asset and the reason of the success of our Wi-Fi Body Scale since 2009. The Smart Body Analyzer, the upcoming upgraded version of our flagship smart scale, will also measure heart rate and indoor air quality... just by stepping on the scale!

Thank you David! At last, a voice of reason amid all the high-fiving of the tech startup hypemeisters in response to this latest Pew report. I've been wondering why the headlines during this past week have not read "Only 21% Use Technology To Self-Track!" - instead of the gush about the near-70% who do track - well, okay that includes "on paper or in their heads". And that 21% include the outliers in the Quantified Self movement, many of whom are among the worried well who obsessively track numbers just because they can.

As a chronically ill patient and women's health advocate, I was interviewed by EveryDayHealth about my perspective on the Pew report before its public release - http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/two-thirds-of-americans-now-track-key-health-indicators-1375.aspx - in which this statement was quoted:

"Fundamentally, sick people are the least likely to be self-quantifiers. We just want to be normal. We don't want to be obsessing over our health. From the moment we wake up every day, we're already obsessing over our health. I want to forget that I'm sick."

That's where your passive data collection comes in. We already know that just 5% of all apps (including health apps) are still in use 30 days after download. Now there's a headline I'd like to see explored. . .

Thank you so much for this comment. Although I love technology and have a great time reading about all the new and interesting mobile apps, devices, etc., I understand what you are saying. A good dose of reality is welcome here! But I am hoping that this technological revolution will bring about some important information about how to motivate people to take care of their own health. Eventually, I believe that there will be realistic apps and devices that will forward that endeavor. Until then, I will enjoy looking at and reading about all the "bells and whistles", but will continue to be a bit skeptical about their longevity. Thanks again for the great comment!